


Youngblood

by SemperAeternumQue



Series: Semp's bad fics about Cherri Cola [2]
Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album), The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Comic)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Kobra Kid is an idiot, also Dr. Death Defying and an unnamed oc, but this headcanon version of cola is a good bit older than the fab four, cherri cola used to be an idiot and is trying to keep them all from dying, completely platonic, i don't mind the kobracola ship, no beta we die like the fab four, so are the rest of the fab four don't worry, so it would be pretty creepy in this case, the rest of the fab four are mentioned but don't actually appear in the fic, this is basically just me trying to cram all my headcanons for cherri cola's backstory into a fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24813541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SemperAeternumQue/pseuds/SemperAeternumQue
Summary: Cherri Cola hasn't had the smoothest or easiest life, and sometimes he's grateful for that. Like when he needs to try and give one of the reckless idiots- sorry, one of the Fabulous Four- some advice after a clap gone wrong.
Relationships: Agent Cherri Cola & Kobra Kid (Danger Days)
Series: Semp's bad fics about Cherri Cola [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800331
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18





	Youngblood

**Author's Note:**

> What's up y'all, I've been quarantined for three months, my mental health is in shambles, and this sentence is already becoming run-on. For the love of gays. Anyways. Instead of actually accomplishing anything with my day, I went and wrote a fic (read: a thinly veiled excuse to reveal my headcanons for Cherri Cola's backstory). 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy this barely-edited mess of a fic!

“You and Poison are going to get yourselves killed if you keep doing this,” Cherri Cola murmured as he settled next to Kobra Kid on the steps of Dr. Death Defying's radio station, tilting his head in a silent question.

Kobra gave a small nod of permission and winced as Cherri started cleaning the wound where a ray gun shot had nicked his arm. “We can handle a few claps. We’re fine.”

Cherri sluiced a little water over the wound, eliciting another wince and a small hiss of pain. “I’ve told that lie too many times myself to believe it from you.”

There was no response, so he went on. “Anger and grief can consume you. You won’t be able to burn this brightly forever, no matter how fierce your rage.”

“Fuck off, Cola.” Kobra’s voice was almost a growl as Cherri wrapped a bandage around his arm, and he scooted away as soon as the other was done tying it.

Cherri let the silence fall between the two of them, knowing the Kid would need a moment. Truths like these were never easy to accept, especially not when you were a reckless teen driven by your pain. He should know.

When they had been silent for several minutes, he decided to speak again. “Do you know why I came out to the desert?”

That was enough to make Kobra Kid turn, although his face was still sour from Cherri Cola’s earlier remarks. “No. It’s rude to ask.”

“I’m choosing to tell you, if you want to know.”

While Kobra was stubborn, both venom siblings were curious by nature, and Cherri internally grinned in victory as Kobra huffed. “Fine. Why did you?”

“You know I didn’t have a good family, yes?”

“That’s about all Dr. D ever said.”

“Well, it’s more complicated than that. My parents were…not good people, but I had a sister who _was_ a good person. She was four years older than me and talented at most everything, making her the one noticed more often by adults. She told the best jokes and knew how to fold origami, clever with her hands and always patient and kind when teaching me, letting me win at things even though she could have beat me easily. She hated overcast days and the smell of hospitals and liked bubblegum and the color purple and cherry-flavored soda, and I loved her more than anything else in the world.”

“What happened?” The Kid's voice still had a bit of sting to it, but it had softened despite the fact that his face was as harsh and unreadable as ever.

“She got taken away.” It still hurt, even all these years later. “Better Living Industries took her away when I was twelve and she was sixteen, and it turned me into…someone else.”

Kobra snorted, likely at the drama of that statement, the harshness returning. “What, someone other than the gentle person you are?”

Cherri winced. “It took me many years and many stupid decisions to become the person I am today, and twelve-year-old me was far from gentle. I wanted to tear down Battery City with my bare hands, and I didn’t care about the consequences. I would bring them down, whatever it took, and I didn’t care if I lived or died doing it.”

“Young you sounds like Poison.”

“Both of you remind me of myself- and not in a good way, I’m afraid. Not that there are many good ways.”

They sat in silence for a few moments longer before Kobra broke it again. “So what made you…like this? Peaceful, that is.”

That was never an easy memory to think about, but Cherri summoned it up anyways. For the sake of his friend. “I was lucky enough to fall in with a group of friends who did care if I lived or died. Most notably Dr. Death Defying. He and our other friends kept me from dying in the few years between when I came out into desert and the beginning of the Analog Wars, and Newsie and Hot Chimp joined their effort later on. And at the very end of the wars, I killed my sister.”

Kobra gaped at him. “What?”

Cherri closed his eyes, not wanting to see the look of horror and disgust on the other’s face. “My sister was an exterminator. That’s what they took her to be trained for. I was the best sharpshooter of the killjoys, and she was the best sharpshooter of Better Living Industries.”

He wished his voice didn’t shake quite so much, but it did, mirroring the shakiness of his hands that had never quite gone away. “I will never know if it was my shot that killed her or not. It was a battle, it was chaos. Shots were flying left and right, no one knew what was happening. She didn’t recognize me under my mask and the marks of years in the desert, but I knew it was her. I fought anyways, I didn’t have a choice not to. And when everything was over, she was dead.”

“Shit.” It was a single word, but Cherri knew the sentiment behind it. Pity.

“It took me a very long time to deal with that in a way that didn’t involve addiction in some form.” He glanced down at his hands, taking in the scars there. “D still worries.”

“Dr. D worries a lot.”

Cherri Cola let out a small laugh. “That’s certainly true. My point was it’s easy to burn yourself up. It’s easy to self-destruct and hard to pull yourself out of that hole. You’re allowed to feel, and you’re allowed to use that emotion to fuel your fight. But don’t let your pain twist you into someone you’re not. Don’t let your anger destroy you like mine almost did.”

He didn’t know if he had gotten through to Kobra, since the other said nothing, but at least part of what he said must have touched the Kid, since Kobra gave Cherri a small nod as he stood up.

“Keep running, Cola.”

“Keep running,” Cherri returned. He watched Kobra fuss briefly with the bandage on his arm before making his way inside where the rest of the Fabulous Four would almost certainly be gathered around the injured Party Poison. Unsaid words still hung in the air, and Cherri Cola let them remain that way, lingering long after the Kobra Kid had vanished within the depths of the radio station.

**Author's Note:**

> I would say I'm sorry for making Cherri sad but hey a person has to yeet their negative emotions somewhere, right?
> 
> Anyways, if you liked this maybe leave some validation in the form of kudos or comments (you know that post like 'me, face pressed against my AO3 inbox: commente' or something like that? that's me.) or come scream at me over on tumblr @always-and-forever-a-killjoy. (And please no laughing at my choice of url, y'all took all the good ones.)


End file.
